Dr. Phillips girls pull off rare double: state titles in basketball, flag football

Six girls were part of both state champions.

May 11, 2011|By Stephen Ruiz, Orlando Sentinel

Her hamstring sore and tired from playing three flag football games in two games, Rachel Lopez did not have trouble sleeping on the three-hour bus ride from Boca Raton to Orlando last weekend.

Remembering was another issue.

"I thought I dreamt it all,'' Lopez said.

To the delight of Lopez, her nine teammates on the bus, coach Anthony Jones and his staff, she had not. The Panthers capped an 18-1 season with a 27-26 overtime victory against Tampa Alonso for their first flag football state title.

Even more memorable, Lopez, Hannah Schaible, Shya Garrett and Jade Cheek secured their second state championship in 21/2 months. They were part of DP's girls basketball team that knocked off 2010 champion Lake Mary in the Class 6A title game in Lakeland.

"My mom says I should get earrings of the state championship rings,'' Schaible said.

Said Jones, who coaches both squads: "There are six classes in basketball. Flag football is harder [to win a state title], because there is only one class [of 161 teams]. This is one of the biggest accomplishments of my life.''

Dr. Phillips' path to the state title in flag football — only the second for a Central Florida school after Apopka won in 2004 — was littered with challenges. Seven players did not make the trip to Boca Raton because of various reasons, including Taryn Griffey and Tanisha Wilson.

Griffey missed the game because of an AAU basketball commitment. Wilson attended prom. Both were on the state basketball championship team.

Missing more than 40 percent of the roster meant Jones had to shuffle in players with limited experience and move others out of position.

"We had one day of practice before the tournament,'' Jones said. "It was just trying to fill the girls in on our system. In that one practice, we had to do a lot of reps, a lot of scrimmaging.

"These reserves were extremely nervous and scared, but I told them if they were not, they were not competitors. They actually taught the coaching staff a lesson, to not give up and to continue to keep faith.''

The Panthers blanked Tallahassee Leon 20-0 in a quarterfinal Friday, then routed Miramar 27-6 on Saturday to advance to the final.

"It was a different experience,'' said junior Madison Johnson, who played defensive back, receiver and special teams last weekend. "Before the game [against Leon], I had knots in my stomach. I didn't want the coaches to double-think their decisions.''

On the first play of the final against Alonso, Garrett returned an interception for a touchdown. On Alonso's next series, Schaible, playing safety, hurt her left ankle and left the game.

"Rachel was like, 'C'mon, Hannah. Get up,' '' Garrett said.

Said Schaible, who set a record with 50 touchdown passes this season: "I wouldn't allow me being out for the game.''

Schaible returned after three plays, but DP needed an overtime touchdown from Cheek and its defense stopping Alonso on an extra-point conversion pass to prevail.

"We're all just jumping up and down,'' Johnson said. "Girls were crying, they couldn't believe it. They were happy. It was a pure moment.''

Said senior captain Phoebe Dykes: "We stood there for five seconds, trying to figure out if we won.''

They did, and they'll have the state championship rings to prove it wasn't a dream.